how does a new associate get help if they need it?

[eujn]

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Hi,
I will be graduating soon and I am looking for associate positions, but I am a bit worried that I won't be able to handle every thing that comes at me during my first few years of practice. I'm also pretty clueless about the structure of an actual practice as I haven't much opportunity to shadow in an actual practice. I've listed a few possible scenarios below, if any new associates or experienced dentists can provide some advice and insight I would very much appreciate it.

- Let's say during an extraction the root breaks, and despite my efforts I am unable to retrieve it. Would there be a more experienced dentist that would be able to help me? Or would I have to refer it out?

- A new patient comes in and requires a very complex treatment plan, and I'm worried that as a new grad I won't be able to treatment plan this case adequately. Would they give me patients like this? Would I refer this out?

- Is there a schedule of the list of patients and procedures I am booked for so I can go over the cases the day before and prepare what needs to be done the next day? What if I come across something that I don't think I'll be able to handle?

-Is there usually a lead dentist in each day who I can consult?

 

[THS]

Well if you're working as an associate, there will most likely be a senior dentist around for you to discuss cases with.

And if you're working at a corporate practice, there are probably specialists on site for you to talk with as well.

 

[shendo]

It really depends on the clinic what type of mentoring/help you will have. For example, one of my AEGD residents from last year is working as an associate at an office where she is there by herself with no one to help her if she needs it. The other resident is working as an associate in an office where the owner usually works on the same days and is a good mentor and wants to teach and help her grow. If you work for a corporate chain, the number of experienced dentists/specialists can also vary widely. Make sure when you interview at places, to ask questions and find out what kind of support you will have if you are concerned about not having someone to help you when needed.

 

[eujn]

It really depends on the clinic what type of mentoring/help you will have. For example, one of my AEGD residents from last year is working as an associate at an office where she is there by herself with no one to help her if she needs it. The other resident is working as an associate in an office where the owner usually works on the same days and is a good mentor and wants to teach and help her grow. If you work for a corporate chain, the number of experienced dentists/specialists can also vary widely. Make sure when you interview at places, to ask questions and find out what kind of support you will have if you are concerned about not having someone to help you when needed.

Thanks very much for the replies guys. I guess the situation really depends on the particular clinic.

shendo, in regards to your resident who is on her own, so what is she supposed to do in a situation where she actually needs help? Is she supposed to just learn from her own experience? It worries me a bit because there's the potential to do something wrong in the process of "learning".

 

[shendo]

Thanks very much for the replies guys. I guess the situation really depends on the particular clinic.

shendo, in regards to your resident who is on her own, so what is she supposed to do in a situation where she actually needs help? Is she supposed to just learn from her own experience? It worries me a bit because there's the potential to do something wrong in the process of "learning".

eujn- my resident who is on her own is glad that she did choose to do a residency since the experience she gained in that one year has helped her with her confidence and also clinically having to be on her own. since the office she works at is close by to my clinic, she does drop by during her lunchtime when she has questions or wants advice about a case she is working on. If you end up working somewhere without a dentist to mentor you, hopefully you have someone at your dental school that would be willing to still provide you with mentoring/guidance when you need some advice. another great resource I recommend my residents to use is dentaltown since you can always post cases on their forums and ask for advice.

 

[cmcner]

It's important to figure out how to learn stuff on your own in dentistry. New stuff will come up your whole career, research online, talking to people you graduated with or other dentists will be helpful. You know all the key components already, you're just adding little modifications to most things or combining concepts. Sometimes you've never done a specific procedure, but you have done all the components that will be required to complete it so you can handle it without any trouble. As a general dentist some things will be way out of your range, and some cases will be extremely difficult, it's essential to be able to identify these cases before you start, don't start with those, there are specialists for a reason, don't feel bad to refer. If you have an issue mid procedure that isn't an emergency tell the patient let's take a break for a min (while you go run and try to figure out the next step to take online) or if you don't think you will be able to resolve the situation yourself with a quick refresher let the patient know that xy and z presented in this case and it is in their best interest if you have a specialist continue with this procedure. That being said, this will likely be a rare occurrence and if it's not you might have to brush up on some things. Finally and most important, always have a detailed informed consent, and treatment plan and don't lie about an unexpected event (eg. broken endo file). If you follow these steps you'll realize that you're going to be fine